The consumption of beverages in automobiles is very common, so much so that automobile manufacturers typically provide beverage holders as part of the standard design of automobile interiors. In addition, numerous devices are available in the aftermarket for holding a beverage container in an automobile (truck or other vehicle) and preventing the container from spilling.
Devices are known that use an automobile's air-conditioning and heating systems to cool or warm food including beverages, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,757,851; 3,505,830; and 3,916,639. Unfortunately, many such devices are bulky and require permanent or semi-permanent attachment to the automobile's air-conditioning or ventilation system, and take up considerable space in the automobile.
A prior device suitable for cooling (or warming) a single beverage is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,289. The '289 device includes a ventilator cover with a nozzle to which is attached a rigid receptacle structure in which a beverage container such as a can of pop may be housed. A drawback of the '289 device is that because beverages come in a variety of differently sized containers, larger containers, such as glass or plastic bottles or coffee mugs with handles, will not fit in the receptacle of '289. Moreover, small sized containers may slide around inside the receptacle, spilling or jostling the contents. Such problems are particularly acute if the beverage is carbonated.
Another drawback of the '289 device, as well as others of the known devices, is that the device requires that a ventilator cover with nozzle be attached to the ventilation outlet. Such a cover may not be adaptable to certain automobiles due to wide differences in the size and design of air conditioning outlets and surrounding dash areas. In addition, attachment of the ventilation cover of '289 prevents subsequent adjustment of the ventilation louvers. Also some people may find the permanent attachment of such a ventilator cover to be aesthetically displeasing.
Still another drawback of the '289 device is its lid section. Although the '289 patent teaches that the lid is optional, it is clear that the efficiency of the receptacle would be diminished by omission of the lid. When the beverage is sufficiently cooled by the '289 device, the lid must be removed in order to consume the beverage. The '289 patent does not disclose what to do with the lid while the beverage is being consumed.
Further, the '289 device is relatively complicated to manufacture, has a relatively large number of parts, is relatively difficult to install and may be awkward to use, especially when driving.
Related to the subject of beverage consumption is advertising. It is often desired to provide consumers with promotional items which beneficially present advertising, logos, or other promotional or aesthetic indicia to the consumer. The desired effect of such promotional articles is enhanced where the indicia are frequently visible, and where the effect is heightened by association with a benefit to the consumer. For a beverage sold in containers, the ideal time to present promotional indicia is when the consumer desires to consume such a beverage.
Accordingly, it is known to provide such indicia on articles used in conjunction with beverage consumption, such as bottle openers, glasses, or insulating sleeves. Unfortunately, such items often have only a limited space to support the desired indicia, or curved or otherwise distorted surfaces that degrade the indicia. Many such items have little or no value to the consumer, or are not practical for use in automobiles where indicia might otherwise be visible repeatedly for extended periods.
A beverage cooling accessory that is present before a driver or passengers for extended lengths of time has considerable potential as an advertising medium, and thus ideally may be steeply discounted or even given away as a promotional item. Unfortunately, prior art devices for heating or cooling beverages in automobiles and the like have little utility as advertising media. For example, the '289 aforementioned device has a shape that is not particularly well suited for advertising. The '289 device conforms to the general shape of a can, i.e., cylindrical. A curved cylindrical surface is not so readily adaptable as a flat or rectangular surface for advertising indicia, promotional logos, or other marketing messages.
Therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a device to hold a beverage in an automobile and to cool or warm it efficiently. It is a further object to provide a means for cooling or warming a beverage in a room, such as an office, dormitory, bedroom or hotel room, without a refrigerator or heating element.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel support for advertising or promotional indicia which will provide the user with the advantages discussed above. In particular, it is desired to provide an inexpensive, mass-producible beverage holder including a support surface, such as a hood, which may be printed with desired promotional indicia and which will be visible to the user when beverages are cooled (or warmed) and consumed.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification when read in light of the attached drawings.